Refrigeration



Paten-recrea z3, 1937 l l i y 2,071,798

f UNITED STATES PATENTol-FICE Y aumomnon James N. Columbus, Ohio,assigner to Lewis Refrigeration, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Appuccuonmrclrs, 1934, serial No. '114,577r

s claims; (ol. ca -91.5)

The present invention relates to refrigeration rial-placed within thechamber upon the grating'. processes and means and particularly to theIn one end of chamber I2 is a third and smaller maintenance ofrefrigeration temperatures in enchamber 20 extending verticallyalongside :of closures of room size though with suitable modichamber l2and communicating with the 'space 5 flcation the processes and means maybe adapted below the grating through a suitable conduit 2|. 5 to largeror smaller units. This chamber 20 will be closed at the-top but Amongthe objects of the invention is a process will have an outlet conduit 22leading therefrom and means utilizing the potential refrigeration of ata point somewhat below its top, and extending solid carbon dioxide,known as dry-ice" and so to-a header 23 located near the ceiling oflenclolll referred to hereinafter. sure lil and preferably extendingacross the latin Another object is a process and means for ter. 'Ihisheader has connected to it a plurality exercising control over thesublimation of this of conduits 24 extending the length of theenclomaterial and the distribution of its influence in sure near theceiling and leading into a second the desiredy manner. header 2E at theother end. f

- Heretofore dry ice has been used for the pur- From the second header28 an outlet vpipe 28 le pose of refrigeration but no simple lmeans forextends vertically to the bottom of the chamber controlling its actionhas been devised. Thereand out through the` bottom or side wall thereofsults have been unsatisfactory in uneven cooling to the exterior. Ne rthe outlet end 2l of conduit or waste. 2B will be located pumping deviceshown best Still another object of the invention` therefore in Figurev5. which device may consist of a fan "20 1S t0 eliminate theseObjections and provide a 30 operable through suitable gearing 3|byamomethod of and means for obtaining uniform contor 32 receiving itscurrent from a suitable source trolled temperatures in the refrigeratedspace of supply lndicatedat sa by the conventional with a minimum ofloss in refrigerant. representation of a storage battery. This motorOther Objects and advantages Will readily 0C- 32 will be controlledv bymeans of a. suitablether- 25 e111 t0 those Skilled inihe artup0n'l`efelene mostat 40 located within the enclosure i@ and to thefollowing description and the accompanyi preferably near the center orthe space to be ins'drawine'in which refrigerated. l

Figure l is a horizontal section through an when 9, supplyof dry ice isin chamber i2, enclosure to be refrigerated, taken on line i-i which iswe11- insulated, this material will only 30 3 of Figure 2 and indicatingthe use of the invenslowly sublime and the gas so produced will flowtion. in a leisurely manner out through the conduits 22 Figure 2 is avertical longitudinal section on to 25 and discharge to the atmosphere,but ow line Z--2 0f Figure 1. at such slow rate that very littlerefrigeration is Figurev 3 is a section on line 0f Figure 2 produced.when the temperature in the encioasI 35 Figure 4 iS a Section 0n line 10f Figure 2, sure l0 reaches a predetermined upper limit the butsomewhat enlarged, and thermostat 40 will operate to start the motor 32Figure 5 is an enlarged detail Showing the. and pump 30 toreduce thepressure within the Dump unit- A conduits and chamber i2, so thatsublimation of An enclosure to be refrigerated is indicated at the dryice is increased and there will be a. more go i0 being provided with alayer of insulating matecopious 110W of, the com gas through the conrialIl which will extend entirely around the enduits, Being located near theupper ceiling of closure at the t0n. -botwm and sides s0 as to rrotheenclosure the cold gas flowing through the vide against undue inilow ofheat to the conconduits W11] of course cool the warmer upper @elitethel'eef- At One end 0f the enClOSllle 91' at air in the enclosure andcause air circulation to be 45 any other suitable location or locationswill be established, so that, in a short space of time the provided asmaller chamber i2 also well rinsuentue body of slr will bereduced intemperetme.

' lated, both fromthe exterior and fromthe main Whe'n thetemperature im;reached a, predeter- Dertien 0f enclosure m The main Pall 0f cham' minedlower limit, the thermostat will operate to ber I2 will be provided witha gratins I3 spaced stop the motor and pump and sublimation o: the tosomewhat from the bottom to provide a small dry ice wiiilbe retarded. l

passage i4 and will have its side walls corrugated In order to increasethe sublimation, there may or iluted as indicated atfi. This chamber isinl be provided 9, smal] heatingelement 4g in cham..

tended t0 Contain the SUDDIXLO dry-lee. indicated ber I2 so arrangedthat it is always in contact with:

at I8, as consisting of suitable blocks of the mateor closely adjacentthe upper surface of the drysuch a. heater is used for adding stim icesupply. Element 45 may take the form of a. fiat plate or box containinga resistance heated coil 46 -to which current will be supplied throughthe flexible extensible leads 41 so that, as the supply of dry-icediminishes and then-upper surface lowers, the plate 45 can follow d Whenus to the sublimation, it may be supplied with current during theoperation of the motor or it may be operated only temporarily sov as toinitiate sublimation, rather than to continue to heat. In either'casethe thermostatic control 4|! may be arranged to provide for closing thecircuit through the heater I5 temporarily or continuously during pumpoperation as determined to be best under the conditions of operation.

During the sublimation of the dry-'ice the gas formed will fall'to thebottomiof chamber I2 into the space` I4 and fiowinto the chamber 2lifrom which it is drawn by the pump. In^ order to provide for freemovement of the gas in chamber I2 the walls IB are corrugated to providevertical channels.

While-the plate 45 is described as providing a stimulus for thesublimation..it is of course to be understoodv that decreasing thepressure in chamvber i2 also stimulates the sublimation.

The present invention is particularly suitable for the refrigeration ofrailroad cars and for large drawing of! gases from the secondcompartment and discharging them to the outside atmosphere. i, 2. Arefrigerator comprising a heat insulated storage compartment,V asecondheat insulated compartment add acent to but heat insulated from thestorage compartment, an uninsulated conduit \connected to'the bottomportion of said second compartment and extending through the rstcompartment to the exterior thereof, and means in said conduit fordrawing oil.' gases from the second compartment and discharging them tothe outside atmosphere.

3. A refrigerator comprising a heat insulated storage compartment, asecond heat insulated compartment adjacent to but heat insulated fromthe storage compartment and provided with a supporting grating or thelike spaced from the bottom thereof, an uninsulated conduit connected tothe bottom portion of said second compartment and extending through thefirst compartment to the exterior thereof, and means in said conduit fordrawing off gases from the second compartment and discharging -them tothe outside atmosphere.

4. A refrigerator comprising a heat insulated 1 storagecompartment, asecond heat insulated enclosures such as the refrigerators used by meatmarkets and the like, but it is ofcourse to be understood that suitablemodication willrender it useful for smaller or larger units such ashousehold refrigerators or household air conditioning.

Now having described the invention and the preferred embodiment thereof,it is to be understood thatl said invention is tobe limited, not to thespecic' detailsherein set forth, but only by the scope of the claimswhich follow.

What I claim is:-

1. Arefrigerator comprising a heat insulated storage compartment, `asecond heat insulated compartment adjacent to but heat insulated fromthe storage compartment, an uninsulated conduit ing "through the ilrstcompartment to theexopeningto said second compartment and extend- Ycompartment adjacent to but heat insulated from the storage compartmentand provided with a supporting grating or the like spaced from thebottom thereof an'uninsulated conduit connected to the bottom portion ofsaid second compartment and extending through the iirst compartment tolthe exterior thereofeand with vertically iluted side Walls, and meansin said conduit 'for drawing oiI gases from the second compartment anddischarging them to the outside atmosphere.

5. A refrigerator comprising a heat insulated storage compartment, asecond heat insulated compartment adjacent to but heat insulated fromthe storage compartment, an uninsulated conduit opening` to said secondcompartment and extending through the iirstbompartment to the exteriorthereof, means in said conduit for drawing ot! gases from the secondcompartment and discharging them to the outside atmosphere, andthermostatic means for intermittently causing operation of said drawingoff means.

JAMES N. LEWIS.

